US President Donald Trump has set off a firestorm by suggesting he may seek a third term in office, despite the constitutional barriers, CBS News reported.
In a phone interview with NBC News on March 30, Trump claimed, “There are methods which you could do it,” prompting concerns about his willingness to challenge the amendment, which limits presidents to two terms. “I’m not joking,” Trump emphasized, although he added, “It is far too early to think about it.” “I’m not joking,” Trump said, but reiterated, “It is far too early to think about it.”
According to CBS News, the 22nd Amendment, ratified in 1951, explicitly states that “no person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice.” This limit was established after President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s unprecedented four consecutive terms.
Any attempt to remain in office would be legally suspect, and it is unclear how seriously Trump might pursue the idea.
The comments nonetheless were an extraordinary reflection of the desire to maintain power by a president who had violated democratic traditions four years ago when he tried to overturn the election he lost to former President Joe Biden, as per CBS News.
Trump’s comments have been met with fierce criticism, with Rep. Daniel Goldman labeling it an “escalation in his clear effort to take over the government and dismantle our democracy.” Goldman urged Congressional Republicans to oppose Trump’s ambitions.
“If Congressional Republicans believe in the Constitution, they will go on the record opposing Trump’s ambitions for a third term,” he said.
Goldman, a New York Democrat who served as lead counsel for Trump’s first impeachment.
Steve Bannon, a former Trump strategist who runs the right-wing “War Room” podcast, called for the President to run again during a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference last month.
“We want Trump in ’28,” he said.
Jeremy Paul, a constitutional law professor at Boston’s Northeastern University, said, “There are no credible legal arguments for him to run for a third term.”
According to Derek Muller, a professor of election law at Notre Dame, the 12th Amendment, which was ratified in 1804, says “no person constitutionally ineligible to the office of President shall be eligible to that of Vice-President of the United States.”
Muller said that indicates that if Trump is not eligible to run for president again because of the 22nd Amendment, he is not eligible to run for vice president, either.
“I don’t think there’s any ‘one weird trick’ to getting around presidential term limits,” Muller said.
In addition, pursuing a third term would require extraordinary acquiescence by federal and state officials, not to mention the courts and voters themselves.
Trump, who would be 82 at the end of his second term, when asked about continuing to serve, simply said, “Well, I like working.” However, experts consider a third term highly unlikely, given the significant constitutional hurdles.
(With inputs from ANI)
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